Wimbledon Embraces Video Review System for the First Time.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to contest certain calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol already in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a season following the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a player can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon 2025 involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
